Electronic apparatus with communication function and method of transmitting data by using the apparatus

ABSTRACT

A CPU in a CRU-type digital multi-functional peripheral refers to a CRU alert table and reads out message information relating to a consumable component, when replacement of the consumable component occurs, and transmits a message indicative of the consumption of the consumable component and a need for replacement to a personal computer possessed by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, such asan image forming apparatus, that transmits message information relating,e.g. replacement of parts or consumable components of the electronicapparatus, to a serviceman or a user, and an information transmissionmethod for the electronic apparatus.

[0002] Recently, an electronic apparatus such as a digital MFP(Multi-Functional Peripheral) having a communication function forsending a message relating to, e.g. replacement of consumablecomponents, to the outside via a communication line.

[0003] In this kind of electronic apparatus, a replacement type of eachpart and consumable component is determined for each electronicapparatus, and a message to be displayed on an operation panel or to besent using the communication function is set in the body of theelectronic apparatus on a case-by-case basis.

[0004] This kind of electronic apparatus requires installation of anapplication for displaying messages in the individual electronicapparatus. Thus, the number of development steps is large, and the costis high.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an electronicapparatus capable of reducing the number of development steps formessage information relating to, e.g. replacement of parts andconsumable components of the electronic apparatus, and also reducing thecost, and an information transmission method for the electronicapparatus.

[0006] In order to achieve the object, the invention may provide anelectronic apparatus with a communication function, comprising: a firstmemory section that pre-stores first replacement message informationrelating to a part or a consumable component in the electronic apparatusat a time when replacement of the part or the consumable componentoccurs; a second memory section that pre-stores second replacementmessage information relating to a part or a consumable component in theelectronic apparatus at a time when replacement of the part or theconsumable component occurs; and a control section that effects acontrol to read out the first or second replacement message informationstored in the first memory section or the second memory section inaccordance with Replace Unit Type information of the electronicapparatus, when replacement of the part or consumable component in theelectronic apparatus occurs, and to transmit the read-out replacementmessage information to a predetermined transmission destination usingthe communication function.

[0007] The invention may also provide an information transmission methodfor an electronic apparatus with a communication function, comprising:pre-storing replacement message information at a time when a part or aconsumable component in the electronic apparatus is replaced by aserviceman; pre-storing replacement message information at a time when apart or a consumable component in the electronic apparatus is replacedby a user; determining, when replacement of the part or the consumablecomponent in the electronic apparatus occurs, whether the replacement ofthe part or the consumable component is a type for replacement by theserviceman or a type for replacement by the user; reading out thereplacement message information associated with the replacement by theserviceman in a case of the type in which the replacement of the part orthe consumable component in the electronic apparatus is the type forreplacement by the serviceman, and transmitting the read-out replacementmessage information to a serviceman-side personal computer; and readingout the replacement message information associated with the replacementby the user in a case of the type in which the replacement of the partor the consumable component in the electronic apparatus is the type forreplacement by the user, and transmitting the read-out replacementmessage information to a user-side personal computer.

[0008] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed outhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in andconstitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferredembodiments of the invention, and together with the general descriptiongiven above and the detailed description of the preferred embodimentsgiven below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0010]FIG. 1 shows a digital MFP according to an electronic apparatus ofthe present invention and a system configuration thereof;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of acontrol system of the digital MFP;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a message notice operation inthe digital MFP; and

[0013]FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a message notice operation inthe digital MFP.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015]FIG. 1 shows a digital multi-functional peripheral (MFP) accordingto an electronic apparatus of the present invention and a systemconfiguration thereof.

[0016] A digital MFP 101 is an SRU (Serviceman Replace Unit) type, andit is connected to a network 111 serving as a communication line.

[0017] A digital MFP 102 is a CRU (Customer Replace Unit) type, and itis connected to the network 111 serving as a communication line.

[0018] The SRU (Serviceman Replace Unit) type is an apparatus havingparts and consumable components that are basically replaced by aserviceman.

[0019] The CRU (Customer Replace Unit) type is an apparatus having partsand consumable components that are replaced by a user. In other words,the CPU type is an apparatus whose parts and consumable components canbe replaced by the user. In the case of this apparatus, as will bedescribed later, a replacement message relating to parts and consumablecomponents is sent to the user, without a call to the serviceman.

[0020] A personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “user PC”) 103possessed by the user is also connected to the network 111, and the userPC 103 receives messages (A, B) 107 and 108 from the digital MFPs 101and 102.

[0021] A personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “service-sidePC”) 104 possessed by the service side is also connected to the network111, and the service-side PC 104 receives messages (C, D) 109 and 110from the digital MFPs 101 and 102.

[0022]FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a control system of thedigital MFP 101, 102. The digital MFP 101 comprises a CPU 1 forcontrolling the entirety; a ROM 2 storing an SRU alert table 2 a, a CRUalert table 2 b and control data; a RAM 3 for temporarily storing inputcopy condition data, etc.; an operation panel 4 having an LCD section(not shown) and effecting an input operation; a copying mechanismsection 5 functioning as image forming means; and a communicationinterface (communication I/F) 6 connected to the network 111.

[0023] The digital MFP 102 has the same structure, so a descriptionthereof is omitted.

[0024] The ROM 2 pre-stores the SRU alert table 2 a and CRU alert table2 b, as mentioned above.

[0025] The SRU alert table 2 a stores, like the prior art,parts/consumable components information to be displayed to the user, andparts/consumable components replacement message information to bepresented to the service man or a network manager.

[0026] The CRU alert table 2 b stores parts/consumable componentsreplacement message information to be presented to the user.

[0027] The aforementioned parts/consumable components in the digital MFP101, 102 include, for instance, a toner cartridge, a photosensitive drumand a fixing device.

[0028] In accordance with the type of a digital MFP, type information isinput in advance, thereby to determine whether the SRU alert table 2 aor the CRU alert table 2 b is to be used. The type information is inputin advance through the operation panel 4 of the apparatus.Alternatively, the type information may be input from the user PC 103 orfrom the service-side PC 104. In short, it should suffice if one of thetables pre-stored in the ROM 2 is selected in accordance with the typeof the digital MFP (electronic apparatus).

[0029] Accordingly, the SRU alert table 2 a is selected in the SRU-typedigital MFP 101, and the CRU alert table 2 b is selected in the CRU-typedigital MFP 102.

[0030] A message notice operation in the digital MFP 101 with theabove-described structure will now be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 3.

[0031] When replacement of an SRU-type consumable component 105 in thedigital MFP 101 occurs (ST1), the CPU 1 refers to the SRU alert table 2a in the ROM 2 (ST2).

[0032] The CPU 1 reads out message information corresponding to theconsumable component 105 from the SRU alert table 2 a (ST3), and sendsto the user PC 103 via the communication I/F 6 and network 111 messageinformation 107 to the effect that the consumable component 105 of theapparatus has been consumed (ST4).

[0033] Further, the CPU 1 sends to the service-side PC 104 via thecommunication I/F 6 and network 111 message information 109 about arequest for replacement due to consumption of the consumable component105 in the apparatus (ST5).

[0034] The user PC 103 displays the message information 107 indicativeof the consumption of the consumable component 105 in the digital MFP101, which has been received via the network 111 (ST6).

[0035] On the other hand, the service-side PC 104 displays the messageinformation 109 indicative of the need for replacement due to theconsumption of the consumable component 105 in the digital MFP 101,which has been received via the network 111 (ST7).

[0036] A message notice operation in the digital MFP 102 will now bedescribed with reference to a flow chart of FIG. 4.

[0037] When replacement of a CRU-type consumable component 106 in thedigital MFP 102 occurs (ST11), the CPU 1 refers to the CRU alert table 2b in the ROM 2 (ST12).

[0038] The CPU 1 reads out message information corresponding to theconsumable component 106 from the CRU alert table 2 b (ST13), and sendsto the user PC 103 via the communication I/F 6 and network 111 a message108 indicative of the need for replacement due to the consumption of theconsumable component 106 of the apparatus (ST14).

[0039] Further, where necessary, the CPU 1 sends to the service-side PC104 via the communication I/F 6 and network 111 a message 110 to theeffect that the user is asked to perform replacement due to consumptionof the consumable component 106 in the apparatus (ST15).

[0040] The user PC 103 displays the message information 108 indicativeof the need for replacement by the user due to the consumption of theconsumable component 106 of the digital MFP 101, which has been receivedvia the network 111 (ST16).

[0041] On the other hand, when the service-side PC 104 has received themessage 110 via the network 111, it displays the message 110 indicativeof the need for replacement by the user due to the consumption of theconsumable component 106 in the digital MFP 102 (ST17).

[0042] As has been described above, according to the embodiment of theinvention, two message information units, which correspond to a type ofparts/consumable components replacement performed by the serviceman anda type of parts/consumable components replacement performed by the user,are pre-stored in the ROM. The message information is selected inaccordance with the type of the apparatus. Therefore, there is no needto prepare message information for individual cases, and the number ofdevelopment steps, as well as the cost, can be reduced.

[0043] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broaderaspects is not limited to the specific details and representativeembodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, variousmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic apparatus with a communicationfunction, comprising: a first memory section that pre-stores firstreplacement message information relating to a part or a consumablecomponent in the electronic apparatus at a time when replacement of thepart or the consumable component occurs; a second memory section thatpre-stores second replacement message information relating to a part ora consumable component in the electronic apparatus at a time whenreplacement of the part or the consumable component occurs; and acontrol section that effects a control to read out the first or secondreplacement message information stored in the first memory section orthe second memory section in accordance with Replace Unit Typeinformation of the electronic apparatus, when replacement of the part orconsumable component in the electronic apparatus occurs, and to transmitthe read-out replacement message information to a predeterminedtransmission destination using the communication function.
 2. Theelectronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first memorysection that pre-stores the first replacement message informationrelating to the part or consumable component and the second memorysection that pre-stores the second replacement message informationrelating to the part or consumable component are provided in a ROM. 3.The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the Replace UnitType of the electronic apparatus is one of a Type in which the part orconsumable component in the electronic apparatus is replaced by aserviceman, and a Type in which the part or consumable component in theelectronic apparatus is replaced by a user.
 4. An electronic apparatuswith a communication function, comprising: a first memory section thatpre-stores replacement message information at a time when a part or aconsumable component of the electronic apparatus is replaced by aserviceman; a second memory section that pre-stores replacement messageinformation at a time when a part or a consumable component of theelectronic apparatus is replaced by a user; and a control section thateffects a control to determine, when replacement of the part or theconsumable component in the electronic apparatus occurs, whether theelectronic apparatus is a type for replacement by the serviceman or atype for replacement by the user, to read out the replacement messageinformation stored in the first memory section or the second memorysection in accordance with the determined type, and to transmit theread-out replacement message information to a predetermined transmissiondestination using the communication function.
 5. The electronicapparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined transmissiondestination is a personal computer possessed by the serviceman in a caseof the type for replacement by the serviceman, or is a personal computerpossessed by the user in a case of the type for replacement by the user.6. An information transmission method for an electronic apparatus with acommunication function, comprising: pre-storing replacement messageinformation at a time when a part or a consumable component in theelectronic apparatus is replaced by a serviceman; pre-storingreplacement message information at a time when a part or a consumablecomponent in the electronic apparatus is replaced by a user;determining, when replacement of the part or the consumable component inthe electronic apparatus occurs, whether the replacement of the part orthe consumable component is a type for replacement by the serviceman ora type for replacement by the user; reading out the replacement messageinformation associated with the replacement by the serviceman in a caseof the type in which the replacement of the part or the consumablecomponent in the electronic apparatus is the type for replacement by theserviceman, and transmitting the read-out replacement messageinformation to a serviceman-side personal computer; and reading out thereplacement message information associated with the replacement by theuser in a case of the type in which the replacement of the part or theconsumable component in the electronic apparatus is the type forreplacement by the user, and transmitting the read-out replacementmessage information to a user-side personal computer.